SYDNEY (Realist English). Thousands of Australians joined nationwide pro-Palestinian demonstrations on Sunday, organizers said, amid worsening relations between Israel and Australia following the centre-left government’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
According to the Palestine Action Group, more than 40 protests took place across the country, drawing an estimated 350,000 participants. The group claimed around 50,000 attended the Brisbane rally, though police put the number closer to 10,000. Police did not release figures for Sydney and Melbourne.
In Sydney, organizer Josh Lees told reporters that demonstrators were demanding “an end to this genocide in Gaza” and urging Canberra to impose sanctions on Israel. Many rallygoers waved Palestinian flags and chanted “free, free Palestine.”
The events were condemned by Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, who told Sky News the rallies “created an unsafe environment and shouldn’t be happening.”
The protests came days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intensified his criticism of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his government’s decision to conditionally recognize Palestinian statehood. Canberra’s move followed similar steps by France, Britain and Canada, straining diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.
The August 11 announcement coincided with a separate march of tens of thousands across Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, where protesters called for peace and humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israel launched its offensive there nearly two years ago following a deadly Hamas cross-border attack.
Palestinian authorities say more than 60,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the conflict began, while aid groups warn that severe food shortages are pushing the population toward famine.
